WASTES MANAGEMENT AND THE ISSUE OF SUSTAINABLE LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK STRATEGIES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The précis of this paper is that Nigeria was using old methods in collecting, transporting, storing and final disposal of our domestic and industrial wastes Healthcare wastes which is new in Nigeria had no good provision for their proper management. These methods were not only obsolete but were not sustainable. Sustainable strategies for waste management are those plans, tactics and methods we adopt in collecting, transporting, storing, treating and final disposal of our wastes under the Nigerian Laws for sustainable strategies. The thrust of this paper is to expose Nigerians to the use of advance technologies and equipment of the three Rs of reduction, reuse and recycling in managing wastes. To expose Nigerians to the need to adopt modern methods of pulverization, incineration and modern sanitary landfills and to encourage quick prosecution of waste related offences to serve as deterrence to wastes management offenders. We found that dumping and poor disposal of wastes have varied effects on the lives of people and the environment. We recommended that our environmental laws in the area of waste management should be amended to reflect these strategies and to make waste management offences strict liability offences as obtainable in advanced countries like United Kingdom and United States of America. India has also gone ahead of Nigeria in proper management and disposal of such liquid waste/waste water like faeces due to their serious campaign against open defecation (OD) as they are now open defecation free (ODF).